If I Could Tell Him

Chapter forty

CONNOR POV

Tonight was the night of Marigold's recital. Connor fixed the bow tie that Evan had insisted he wear, and tried to ignore his sweaty palms. He wasn't nervous about his daughter's performance, of course. He had complete faith in her abilities. Connor was nervous because he and Evan hadn't been treated with much acceptance as a couple and he didn't want Marigold to be affected negatively by dumbass homophobes. Just the thought made Connor clench his fists in anger. As long as he was there, no one would touch his family. He'd worked too hard and for too long to throw it all away.

"CONNOR!" Evan called from another room cheerfully, snapping him back to reality. "WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Connor smiled at the sound of his voice.

"ONE MORE MINUTE, EV!" Connor yelled back, looking back at the mirror for a second before coming out, smiling at his husband.

"Ready?" Evan asked.

"Ready." Connor responded, taking his hand and kissing his cheek softly. They joined Marigold in the car, who had been waiting impatiently in the backseat.

"Finally!" Marigold griped, tugging at her tutu nervously.

"Honey, I promise you won't be late. We have plenty of time." Evan told her patiently.

"Right. Sorry, dad." Marigold said apologetically. "I'm just really really nervous...all the other girls are so much better than I am and I'm scared of messing up..."

"Marigold Hazel Hansen." Connor said firmly. "You are the best damn ballerina in the whole world." He ignored Evan's sound of indignation at the swear. "Listen. You're going to get on that stage and perform perfectly and it's going to go so so well and your father and I are going to be cheering so loudly and you're going to show that Elizabeth that you're the real queen."

"I thought dad was the real queen?" Marigold asked confusedly.

"I did say that didn't I..." Connor realized, flashing a smile at Evan, who was blushing furiously. "Well, like father like daughter." Evan rolled his eyes playfully and pulled out of the driveway.

As they got nearer to the studio, Connor felt himself become more and more hyper aware of the anxiety he was feeling. Is this how Evan felt in high school? Connor thought to himself, feeling a wave of compassion towards the man sitting next to him. He glanced over at Evan, smiling as his husband talked animatedly to their daughter who was sitting in the backseat.

"It's going to be amazing!" Evan was saying. "Absolutely perfect! Especially with you there! A naturally talented ballerina!" Marigold giggled.

"Dad! Stop!" Marigold squeaked, embarrassed. "I'm not as talented as Elizabeth..."

"Yeah because you're way more talented than her!" Connor exclaimed as they finally pulled up. "Go get 'em, tiger." He grinned as Marigold got out of the car.

"You're so embarrassing!" Marigold chirped, trying her best to look annoyed as her dads hugged her. She skipped away from the car, beaming.

TIME SKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY LAURA DREYFUSS BECAUSE GOD WHAT A QUEEN

Connor took Evan's hand as the lights dimmed in the studio, watching their daughter perform beautifully. Connor leaned over and whispered. "I told you she'd be the best!"

"I didn't doubt you for a second." Evan whispered back, stealing a quick kiss.

"Excuse me, sorry...scuse us...." came a few voices from the aisle, a couple who were obviously late and inching past the seated parents. Connor stood up to let them pass, and made fleeting eye contact with the man. His heart froze and goosebumps crawled their way up his arms and around the back of his neck. He instantly recognized the person in front of them.

"Thomas."